Guns n' Rose Red Ties
by La Bitca
Summary: Red ties, a web of lies, and sexy thighs, all wrapped up in a very special case.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi! So this is my first NCIS: LA fanfic, and it will be chock-full of Densi goodness. _

_Disclaimer: Though I am often confused with Shane Brennan (sarcasm), NCIS: Los Angeles does not belong to me._

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><p>Kensi groaned internally as she picked up her next folder of paperwork. Her work space was drowning in those fat manila bringers of boredom. How long had she been hunched over her desk? Four hours? That couldn't be good for her posture. She sat up to crack her back and glanced over at her teammates.<p>

Sam had two neatly stacked piles and was diligently working on a particularly fat file. Kensi looked next at his partner. Callen and Sam had never seemed more opposite.

Callen had various files strewn half-hazardly across his desk and he was leaning back in his chair. Sleeping. Kensi snorted and shook her head as her eyes automatically shifted over to Deeks. It had become a habit of hers to look over at him whenever they were working – a bad habit. He was sitting with his head in his hands and gazing morosely at a towering stack of paperwork.

"Can't we just hire someone to do all this for us?" he asked glumly.

"That's what I did" Hetty said as she suddenly appeared in the bullpen. How she did that was still a mystery to Kensi.

"Right! So if we did too, you should be flattered! We'd be following in your sneaky ninja footsteps."

Hetty threw Deeks a look to shut him up. "I'm here because we have a new assignment."

"Great, more paperwork" Sam grumbled. Callen, whose eyes had sprung open the second he heard Hetty's voice, shot him a smirk as they all stood up and started for the stairs. It was then that Eric bounded to the railing and prepared to whistle, but Hetty cut him off.

"Mr. Beale, there is no need. We're already on our way." His shoulders slumped and he trudged back inside.

"Poor guy, always getting shot down" Deeks murmured.

"He's not the only one" Kensi chirped. Deeks frowned at her briefly as they walked through the automatic sliding doors. For two weeks he'd been trying to pick up this girl Trish from a new bar he'd found. Kensi had enough stress in her life without also having to listen to Deeks whine nonstop about this unattainable goddess. She huffed quietly. This Trish girl probably wasn't so hot.

She took her usual place leaning against the center table with the love struck, scruffy blonde. Why was she even so bothered by this? She and Deeks always bragged and teased and argued about this kind of stuff, which drove Callen and Sam mad of course, but added to their usual banter. And it was a harmless little flirting game – so what was so different about this time? Sure, Deeks had never been so invested in a girl before and sure he was _her _partner and sure they had a "thing" an- no.

Stop. Their "thing" wasn't official. It wasn't real. She was almost relieved when that little chat about their partnership was interrupted because it seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. To emotions. Emotions she didn't – she couldn't – voice to Deeks. They were just partners. Just partners. She had to keep telling herself that. Kensi put her thoughts on hold as Eric stood up to join Nell by the display board. He tapped on his tablet and a driver's license appeared on the screen.

"Meet Aaron Tucker, a Navy Cryptologist for six years. But don't get too attached because…" he tapped his tablet again, bringing up new photos, "He's dead."

There were multiple pictures of his sprawled body with a small caliber hole right through the heart. His skin had lost its rosy glow from the Navy ID photo and paled to that deathly color Kensi knew all too well, and his warm brown eyes had become misty and unseeing. Poor guy.

Callen looked to Eric. "We know why he was killed?"

Eric shook his head and Nell piped up.

"All we have to go on is his phone – which unfortunately, is heavily encrypted and is going to take all of Eric and my skills to crack – and this note."

She grabbed the tablet out of Eric's hands and pulled up one more photo. It was somewhat crumpled piece of paper with typing on it:

_A.T.,_

_ Meet at the Palomar Hotel at 8 sharp this Saturday. Come alone. If you don't have the info, you know the consequences._

_ Bring it, or else._

_- The man in the red tie_

"Or else? This guy sure has a flair for the dramatic" Deeks mused.

Sam ignored Deeks' comment and looked thoughtfully at the note. "A.T. stands for Aaron Tucker, but what information?"

"Who's this mysterious man in the red tie?" Callen added.

"And it's only Friday, why is Tucker already dead?" Kensi finished.

Eric and Nell shrugged simultaneously and Hetty stepped forward.

"This case is quite the mystery, but Tucker has quite impressive security clearance, so this talk of information could pose a threat to national security. We must determine if anything significant has been leaked."

Eric retrieved his tablet from the small redhead with the least threatening glare Kensi had ever seen. "Callen and Sam, we've sent you Tucker's CO's information, and Kensi and Deeks, you have the wife's address on your phones."

"Keep me apprised" Hetty said, and the team took that as their cue to leave.

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><p>Deeks sighed for the nth time that day as he slammed his car door shut.<p>

"Shot through the heart, I know what that feels like."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "No, you don't. But if you keep this whining up, I just might show you."

Deeks pouted at her as they walked up the porch steps. "You're my partner; you're supposed to be supportive."

"I thought that's what your bras were for, Deeks."

"Are you saying I have man boobs? Is that what you're saying?"

"Maybe." Kensi said with a grin as she knocked on the door and watched Deeks touch his chest self-consciously. He was too easy.

A petite brunette woman answered the door and Kensi and Deeks held up their badges.

"Aubrey?"

The woman nodded.

"I'm NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye and this is my partner, Marty Deeks. Can we come in?"

Aubrey nodded and opened the door further for them.

"How come I don't get a 'Special Agent' introduction?" Deeks whispered in her ear as they followed Aubrey to the living room.

His breath was hot and sent shivers down her spine, so it was all she could do to elbow him lightly in the stomach since words seemed to be failing her. She refocused herself as they sat across from the now-worried woman.

"NCIS? Does this have something to do with Aaron?"

"Yes, and I'm afraid we have some bad news." Deeks said calmly. "Your husband was found dead this morning."

She gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, eyes brimming with tears.

"I know this is difficult Aubrey," Kensi said soothingly, "but do you remember if he said he was going somewhere last night?"

"He said he was going to meet up with an old friend, and that he would be back by tonight."

"Was he acting strange lately? Nervous?"

She shook her head and tried to wipe away the tears falling down her face. "No, he was fine. He was more than fine! He seemed so happy."

She regained some of her composure and continued: "He works at Puget Sound up in Washington for a few weeks every month, but he came back early, on Saturday. He said he wanted to surprise me. Like he wanted to make up for all the time he'd spent away."

Her lip quivered and a new batch of tears ran down her cheeks. She spoke rapidly now, with sobs interspersed between every few words.

"I don – I don't know h – how this happened!" She dropped her head into her hands.

Kensi handed the woman a tissue and glanced over at Deeks who had a funny expression on his face. He leaned in and spoke up.

"How did you meet him?"

Aubrey sniffed and smiled sadly. "My brother Caelan introduced us about five years ago. They both work as cryptologists, and since Aaron doesn't have much family left, Caelan brought him home for all the major holidays. I found myself spending a lot more time with him, and things just sort of fell into place. He proposed a year later, and of course I said yes. He was everything I could have every hoped for." Her smile faltered. "And now he's gone."

Kensi realized they probably weren't going to get any more relevant information out of her. She didn't seem to know anything, and she probably just wanted some time to herself. Kensi reached out and squeezed the grieving woman's hand. "We are so sorry for your loss. If you can remember anything or if you just want to talk, here's my card. Please, don't hesitate to call."

Aubrey nodded but remained rooted to the couch, so the two agents walked themselves to the door. As Kensi pulled it shut behind her, she exhaled. That part always sucked. Deeks seemed oddly affected though, since he still had that weird expression on his face and remained silent as they walked to the car. Deeks being quiet? Something was definitely up. She finally decided to say something as they buckled themselves in.

"Hey, Mr. Stoic. You okay?"

"Yeah. Aubrey just got me thinking…"

"Oh?"

"I'm done with Trish. She doesn't really have that much going for her. I mean, I'd never feel as strongly for her as Aubrey did for her husband. And I want that. I want someone who can make me feel that passionate. I want that connection."

Kensi was shocked at his confession. "Wow Deeks, that was actually… deep."

He shifted in his seat. "Besides, she was _maybe _an eight. I can totally do better."

"And the truth emerges" Kensi said dryly. But she couldn't help smiling triumphantly. Take that Trish, you're only an eight! She sat up straighter in her seat because she herself was most definitely a ten. A hard, rockin', sexy ten.

Deeks looked at her questioningly. "Why are you so happy?"

"I'm always happy."

"Do you smell that? Yeah, it's smoke because somebody's _pants_ are on fire!"

Kensi rolled her eyes at him; someday those muscles would get tired. "Just call Eric and tell him to get Callen and Sam to talk to the brother, Caelan."

Deeks pulled out his phone but squinted at Kensi suspiciously. Did he suspect she was glad he was giving up on Trish? No, he couldn't. Because she didn't like him that way and neither did he.

…right?

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><p><em>Reviews are appreciated!<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_I don't normally update this often, but all the reviews and alerts really motivated me, so I pumped out this short little chapter._

_Thank you guys so much!_

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><p>Deeks followed Kensi into the bullpen where Sam and Callen were situated at their desks. What had gotten into him earlier? Why did he open up like that? What, so now whenever he saw one woman cry over her dead husband, he was just going to spill his guts to Kensi?<p>

Yup, pretty much.

But he remembered that victorious smile on her face; she was happy to hear him say that. Was it because she felt… no. It couldn't be. They were just partners. They didn't have a thing. They just laughed together, challenged each other, flirted with each other, trusted each other with their lives, and spent ninety percent of the week together. And that isn't a relationship… somehow. God, women are confusing.

"You guys learn anything new?" Callen asked.

"Not about the case." Kensi said as she looked pointedly over at Deeks.

Callen and Sam shared a raised eyebrow look at that statement, but kept quiet, which Deeks was extremely grateful for. He was used to their taunting and didn't mind joining in a little repartee, but he would never hear the end of his sappy admission. Deeks tried to change the subject.

"What'd you guys find out?"

"Tucker's CO had nothing but good things to say about him. Said he was a diligent worker and overall nice guy." Callen started, but then paused.

Kensi took the bait: "I'm sensing a 'but' here…"

He leaned forward in his seat. "_But_, the CO did have an interesting development in his working habits. For one thing, Tucker was not assigned to Puget Sound; he was assigned to the naval base in Atherton, and he's never missed a day of work."

"Atherton? So he's really been in California this whole time, which means he's been lying to his wife."

Callen nodded. "But we can't figure out what he was doing in Atherton that would cause him to lie. Nell and Eric are working as fast as they can to crack Tucker's phone encryption and that should give us more information."

"What about Caelan, Aubrey's brother?" Deeks asked.

Sam answered this time: "Caelan said he and Tucker have been best buds since they first met, but he also mentioned a third friend, Gordon Bailey. The three of them were really tight until Bailey was accused of rape. The trial went through and Bailey was found guilty and dishonorably discharged from the navy."

"Ah, the plot thickens" Deeks said with a spark of excitement in his voice. "Rape, clandestine meetings, and _murder_. This is beginning to sound like a soap opera."

Eric walked up then, tablet in hand. Deeks wondered why it hadn't melded to his body yet, since the thing seemed to go everywhere with him.

"I can help you write the rape portion of that soap" Eric said. He quickly frowned. "Uhm, that didn't sound the way I wanted to." He shook his head tiredly and brought up some images on the TV screen.

"This is Gordon Bailey, 29 and ex-cryptologist for the navy. His record was clean until March of last year when he was faced with rape charges brought up by a woman named Isabel Sandoval." And at that, he brought up another photo. The woman was Latino and what most would qualify as very attractive, but Deeks' standards had definitely been raised since he started work at NCIS. This Isabel person had nothing on Kensi.

"There was no evidence in the case, but apparently the testimonies were enough to find Bailey guilty. And you guys will never guess who Isabel Sandoval's key witness was."

When the team just met him with really-Eric-we're-not-going-to-guess looks, he sighed.

"You guys are no fun!"

"Eric. The witness." Sam said.

"Yeah, yeah" he mumbled. "The key witness was Aaron Tucker."

That caught the team's attention, and they all turned to Eric in disbelief.

"Tucker testified against his own best friend?" Kensi asked incredulously.

"Yup. Caelan refrained from testifying, but Tucker got involved. And since there was no evidence, his testimony is the one that brought about Bailey's conviction."

"Sounds like reason enough to blackmail to me" Callen noted.

Deeks nodded. "I'd send my best friend threatening letters too if they got me kicked out of my job and painted me a rapist."

Kensi raised her eyebrow at him. "I'll keep that in mind, then."

"Who said you were my best friend?" Deeks taunted.

But Kensi had a quick and unforgiving tongue, and she shot back with a playful smile on her lips. "I meant the you possibly being a rapist part, Deeks, because we are most definitely not friends."

Sam whistled at that one and Deeks placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "You're a mean one, Mrs. Grinch."

Callen just shook his head and stood up. "Sam and I will bring in Isabel. If Tucker risked his friendship to help her, then we must be missing something. As for you two… play nice."

Sam followed Callen out of the bullpen and Eric bounded back up the stairs to continue his work with his fellow intelligence analyst, and Deeks was left alone with his partner. He turned to face her and looked at her intently for a minute before speaking.

"You really are my best friend, Kens. You know that right?"

She bit her lip and nodded, and Deeks smiled at that face he would never tire of seeing. Damn right she was his best friend. The best he'd ever had.

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><p>Deeks sat across from Kensi in the boatshed as they watched Sam and Callen on the screen as they sat in interrogation with Isabel Sandoval.<p>

"_What's this about?"_

"_Gordon Bailey."_

Her face darkened and she shifted uncomfortably.

"_That creep."_

"_How did you meet him?"_

"_I worked in cryptology with him. He always flirted with me and sometimes it got a little intense, but I never thought it would amount to anything. But then it did."_

"_And Tucker testified with you?"_

"_Yeah, he noticed that Bailey was stepping out of line, and he wanted to help. Aaron is such a gentleman."_

"_Then this might be difficult to hear, Ms. Sandoval, but Aaron Tucker was found dead this morning."_

Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard in an attempt to keep her composure.

"_And you think Bailey has something to do with it?"_

"_We're not sure, but Tucker's testimony seems like pretty good motive. Can you start from the beginning of the case?"_

Deeks reached for the clicker and muted the video feed.

"You don't _really _think I could be a rapist, do you? I mean, you saw a picture of Bailey. Now that guy was creepy. He could be a rapist. You could see it in his eyes."

Kensi turned to face him. "His eyes?"

"Yeah! I mean, look at my eyes. C'mon. These baby blues do _not _scream rapist."

"No, I'm guessing your victims would be the ones screaming it."

"Hey, whoa. Rapist jokes are not funny, Fern."

"Are you kidding me? You make awful jokes like that all the time!"

"That's because mine are funny!"

Kensi snorted. "Debatable."

Deeks opened his mouth to uphold his comedic dignity, but was stopped when Hetty suddenly appeared by the table. What was she, a fucking wizard? There was definitely something supernatural about her.

"While Mister Hanna and Mister Callen seem to have their hands full, it's time for you two to get ready."

Kensi cocked her head questioningly. "Ready for what?"

"The meeting, of course. The man in the red tie will be waiting for you tomorrow, and we wouldn't want to disappoint him, now would we?"

Deeks grinned and rubbed his hands together.

"I do so love to go undercover. Does Kensi get tattoos again?"

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><p><em>Not to be a tease, but the good part is coming up guys. Heh.<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry for the delay! I've just been super busy and blah blah blah – I know you don't want excuses. So voila! Chapter 3._

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><p>Kensi smoothed the front of her tight red dress. She turned to get a view from the side, and couldn't help but smile a little. Damn, but she looked good; she was definitely, <em>definitely <em>a ten.

The silky material clung to just the right places, and her legs seemed miles long from the tip of her black pumps to the hem of her dress, which was just a few inches below her nicely accentuated ass. And the sweetheart neckline drew attention to her chest, but was also practical enough to keep the girls in if she had to go on any crazy gun chases. Speaking of guns, her cropped leather jacket had a very handy pocket on the inside for inconspicuously storing her SIG. Just wait 'till Deeks saw her. And, right on cue, Kensi turned to the sound of a low whistle.

"You clean up nice, Blye."

She turned to see Deeks leaning casually against the wall, shamelessly ogling her. He didn't look too bad either.

Oh, who was she kidding? He looked sexy as hell in his well-tailored black suit with a matching thin, black tie. And oh lord, his _hair_. He was clean shaven for the first time in a long time, and his hair had been trimmed so it no longer hung over his forehead. It was gelled up in a very stylish fashion, and Kensi had to admit, it looked good. He was finally proving that he could pass for a high-class kind of guy, not just a hobo. But he did make a cute hobo…

"You're not so bad yourself, Deeks."

"A compliment? Be still my beating heart!"

She rolled her eyes and he joined her in front of the mirror.

"Don't get used to it."

"Well I sure could get used to this" he said, gesturing to their reflection. "We sure make one sexy couple."

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><p>Kensi sat snuggled up to Deeks on a couch in the Palomar hotel lobby with her ginger ale in hand. He'd originally offered her a place on his lap, but she'd declined, since they had a peanut gallery whispering through their ear pieces. Under normal circumstances though, this wouldn't be a situation Kensi would object to: music playing softly in the background, a bar at their disposal, a warm, good-smelling Deeks draping his arm over her shoulders, hotel rooms upstairs with comfortable beds and room service…<p>

But that was under normal circumstances, something her job description most definitely did not entail. Nope, this was not a date, because Sam and Callen were sitting in their car outside, Eric and Nell were monitoring the security cameras, and she was here in this big fancy hotel with Deeks, waiting for the mysterious red tie guy, who was possibly going to show up in the next half hour.

"Why are we doing this exactly? Tucker's already dead, and if he was the target, the blackmailer wouldn't have any reason to come."

Callen's voice crackled in her eardrum: _"Hetty's going off the 'if' part of that. We don't want to make any big assumptions." _

Deeks turned to Kensi and pouted. "Why did you ask? Are you not having a good time with me?"

"_I wouldn't blame her" _Sam quipped and Deeks' pout deepened. Kensi opened her mouth, not sure if the next few words that came out would be equally as harsh as Sam's or embarrassingly sweet, but something stopped her. Her partner noticed and frowned.

"Kensi? What is it?"

"It's her" she breathed.

"_It's who?" _Callen asked, confused.

Deeks turned his head and followed Kensi's gaze.

"It's Tucker's wife."

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><p>Aubrey had made a beeline for the elevators, and as the doors were just about to close, Kensi and Deeks stepped in. Her face paled when she saw them.<p>

"Hello Aubrey" Deeks said with false cheeriness. "What are you up to this fine evening?"

"I – I can explain."

"How about telling us where you're going?" Kensi started.

"Conference room three on the twenty-first floor" she said nervously.

The elevator chimed as they reached their destination, and the three of them stepped off. Kensi and Deeks cautiously let Aubrey lead them to the room, which had a shiny oak door with glass panels on either side. She pulled out a key card, but Kensi took it from her and pulled out her gun to clear the room first.

Inside there was a long table with about eight chairs on either side, and the far wall was a large glass window, brightening up the very empty, very lacking of a man in a red tie room. But there, in the far corner, was a door. Kensi crept up to it and turned the handle slightly: it was unlocked. She took a deep breath and pulled it open, pointing her gun at chest level.

It was a bathroom. A bathroom? Really? Who has a bathroom attached to their conference room? People needed to learn some self-control. But there were no windows or other escape routes leading from it, so Kensi beckoned for Deeks and Aubrey to enter. She pocketed her weapon and they took three seats at the far end of the table so that anyone looking through the panels next to the door wouldn't be able to see them.

"Okay Aubrey, start from the beginning" she prompted gently.

"About a week ago I got this threatening email from an anonymous guy, saying he wanted information from Aaron's computer or else he was going to kill him." Her voice wavered, and she closed her eyes and took a breath before continuing.

"Then on Thursday, he sent me another email telling me to meet him at this hotel tonight with the info, or else he would follow through with the threat."

Deeks frowned. "Wait, the emails were sent to you?"

She nodded and Kensi was hit with a realization. "A.T. didn't stand for Aaron Tucker, it stood for _Aubrey _Tucker." There was a communal "Ohhh" murmured over headset, and Kensi indicated that Aubrey should continue.

"I wasn't expecting Aaron to be home so soon, but then he just showed up and I was so worried, I didn't even tell him about the threats. But he must've gotten into my email or something, because now he's dead!" She looked like she was about to cry again, so Kensi rubbed her arm soothingly.

"It's okay Aubrey. It's not your fault. But why did you still come tonight if Tuc… if Aaron is already gone?"

Aubrey sniffed and squeezed her eyes shut. "The man, he – he contacted me again. He sent me a real letter with the steps to hack into Aaron's email and the key card and room number. He said if I didn't show up he would kill my brother too!"

Deeks sat up straighter. "This man, he sent you the key card in an envelope? Did you keep it?"

"Yes, it's with my other mail at home."

"_On it" _Callen said. _"Sam and I will head to the house to see if there's a return address on the letter."_

"Aubrey, I know this is a lot to deal with, but we think your anonymous coercer might be a man named Gordon Bailey. Do you know him?" Kensi asked.

She looked shocked. "Gordon? He and Aaron and Caelan used to be best friends! I know he was kicked out of the navy but he could _never _go this far… Could he?"

Deeks and Kensi just exchanged glances at that, and Aubrey gasped.

"I'm sorry, this is just – it's just too much. Will you excuse me?"

Kensi nodded and guided the very shaken woman to the handy dandy connecting bathroom (maybe it was pretty useful), then walked back towards Deeks, who was staring at the door Aubrey had just pulled shut.

"I can't believe there's a bathroom attached. That needs to happen with the bullpen. You think Hetty would go for it?"

"Deeks…"

"Hey, just because you have an iron bladder doesn't mean the rest of us do." Suddenly his eyes lit up. "I found a new nickname for you!"

Kensi glared at him. "_Iron bladder_? God, I'd rather be called Fern."

"I'm going to hold you to that" he said, pointing a finger at her in warning.

She groaned and walked to the window. "Let's just stop talking before I finish digging my own grave."

Deeks smiled and nodded, walking up to the window to join her but keeping his mouth shut for once. Kensi tried to focus on the bustling street below, the sparkling ocean off in the distance – anything but Deeks. But, of course, she found herself staring at him.

God, he had a great profile. Some guys had great profiles for sneaking sideways glances at in line at the grocery store, but once you caught a frontal view of them, it was quick-walk-out-the-doors-because-he-saw-you-glancing-at-him-and-now-he's-staring-at-you-with-those-too-closely-spaced-eyes. Then some guys had the opposite problem of being very attractive from the front, but from the side… let's just say profiles had played an important part in determining a guy's date worthiness to Kensi. Fortunately for Deeks, he had a great profile _and _a great frontal appearance. And so what if she was being a little shallow? Being attracted to your counterpart is necessary in a relationship. Er, partnership. She definitely meant partnership. Unfortunately, at this point, Deeks found her staring at him too.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

Oh, shit. Kensi struggled for a cover up. "More like a lack of something."

Deeks sighed nostalgically and rubbed a hand over his now-smooth cheek. "Ah, the scruff. May it rest in peace."

Kensi smiled and stepped in closer to him. "Don't forget the mop top. I have to admit, I kind of miss it" she said, involuntarily toying with his new do. She twisted a few strands of his styled hair between her fingers before realizing how close they actually were. Deeks' face was mere inches away from hers, and he was smiling at her. Not one of his typical smirks, but a small smile.

"I'll grow it back for you."

Kensi's breath caught in her throat. For you. He could have said "Yeah, I go for the sexy surfer look so I'll grow it back", but no. He had said "for you" and now he was staring at her with that lopsided smile of his.

She stopped playing with his hair and attempted to pull away completely, but only got as far as resting her hand on his shoulder. And then sliding it down to his chest. And then tugging on his suit jacket lapel. Jesus, that appendage had a mind of its own.

But oh God, oh God oh God oh _God_. His smile was gone and his lips were parted just so, and they looked entirely too kissable. Almost as kissable as his chiseled jaw line. Or his neck. Or just about any other part of his body.

Unfortunately, she couldn't blame her roaming hand for what she wanted to do. For what she was about to do. For what she was leaning in to do.

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><p><em>Mwahaha! Didja predict that plot twist? I hope it made sense – it sounded cool in my head at least.<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Short and spicy._

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><p>He could feel it. He could feel her breath on his mouth, teasing, inviting. Then he could feel her nose, the tip of it brushing his. And then…<p>

"_Kensi? Deeks? You have company."_

Impeccable timing Eric – not. They each hastily took a step back and Deeks refocused his train of thought to the case, instead of Kensi's lips. Her amazing, shiny, soft, kissable lips. Goddamit.

"Friendly company?" Kensi asked hopefully.

"_Nope, unless you consider Bailey your friend. He just walked in the lobby and is heading for the elevators now; ETA is about four minutes. And you might be interested in a certain crimson article of clothing he's wearing."_

"Looks like Aubrey was wrong" Deeks said as he reached around to his back for his gun. It was dickheads like Bailey who made him question his faith in humanity. Innocent people like Aubrey trusted him, and he just threw that trust away for money or revenge or whatever the hell they wanted. What a wonderful world indeed.

"_Oh and guys? No guns."_

"No guns?" Kensi hissed, having already retrieved hers as well.

"_No guns. There's an international peace conference being held in the room adjacent to yours. It wasn't announced publicly in order to reduce endangering any lives, and Hetty has wisely pointed out that having a firefight with Bailey would kind of defeat that purpose." _

Kensi slumped her shoulders and stuffed her gun back in her jacket, muttering something about the second amendment before walking to the bathroom. As she knocked on the door and instructed Aubrey to stay put, Deeks got an idea. Kensi wasn't going to like it, but hey, Hetty's orders…

"_Two minutes."_

Well, it's not like anyone had a better plan.

She walked back over to him. "So what're we going to do Mr. Undercover?"

He took a step towards her, heart pounding and voice low. "Do you trust me?"

She seemed to take note of his serious expression and nodded slowly.

"_He's on your floor."_

"Deeks, what are yo–" But she didn't have time to finish her sentence because he had closed the distance between them and planted his lips on hers.

He was pleasantly surprised when she quickly responded, opening her mouth to him almost immediately. Oh god, _this _is what he'd been missing? His brain nearly short-circuited as her tongue collided with his, and when her hands began to travel slowly from his neck down his chest, he was suddenly grateful for his ribcage. Because without it, his heart would've probably burst through his chest by now

But right, he was doing this for the sake of the case.

He was lifting her up and setting her on the conference table for the sake of the case. He was abandoning the need for air and settling instead for the mingling of their breath for the case. He was ghosting his fingers slowly up her smooth thigh and drawing a small moan from her for the sake of the case. That was dedication. Raw, hungry, dedication.

He was dedicated from the moment his lips touched hers until the moment he heard the beep of approval as a key card was slid into the door lock, and the whoosh of air as it was pushed open. He was dedicated until he heard the sound of a body clumsily bumping into a rolling chair and colliding into the conference table. That's when he forced himself to pull away so he could do the other part of his job, the part that required he catch scumbags like Captain Blackmail here. He looked over Kensi's shoulder and saw a very embarrassed looking Gordon Bailey.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Can we help you find something?" Deeks asked, slowly making his way towards the guy. He gradually tried to shorten the distance between Bailey and himself, even though every step away from Kensi was a painful one; if he could just get close enough to tackle him without the guy bolting, this would be fine, no guns necessary.

"No no, I just must have the wrong room."

Uh-oh, he was backing away now.

"If you would jus–"

Aaand there he went. Deeks caught the door after Bailey dashed out of it, and saw him running down the long hallway before rounding the corner at the end. See? Guns would've been handy right about then. Deeks sprinted out quickly, but upon turning the corner, Bailey was waiting for him. He received a hard blow to the right side of his jaw, and staggered backwards.

Bailey seized this opportunity and pushed open the door to the emergency exit stairs. Deeks recovered and followed him down, jumping over the railing to cover more ground even though his head was pounding. But by the time he reached the next level and pushed open the door, Bailey was no where to be seen in either direction.

Fan-fucking-tastic. He mentally kicked himself as he walked slowly back up the stairs to the conference room, trying to ignore the dull throbbing of his skull as he rapped on the door in the recognizable pattern he and Kensi had come up with. She pulled it open and looked around.

"What happened? Where's Bailey?"

"I lost him" Deeks said bitterly, holding onto his aching jaw. The scruff probably would've provided extra protection from the punch. The scruff was magical. Shaving was evil.

"Are you hurt?"

He tried not to pay attention to the concern in her eyes, because it was just going to make going back to the way things were that much worse. But he couldn't, he just couldn't overlook what her eyes were telling him. Eyes are the window to the soul, right? And what a beautiful soul it was.

"Nothing I can't handle."

Kensi nodded and motioned for Aubrey to lead the way to the elevators, but stayed behind a minute with her partner. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and stared at him, melting all of his fears and doubts. How did she do that? How could one look just break him down like that?

"It's okay, Deeks. It happens to the best of us."

He nodded and gave her a small smile in thanks, and they started back. They stood expectantly, waiting for the elevator to arrive, and Deeks couldn't help himself. He leaned over Kensi's shoulder and whispered in her headpiece-free ear:

"At least there was one good thing about this undercover mission" he said with a suggestive eyebrow waggle.

He heard a familiar chime as the doors opened, and Kensi turned to him with a wicked smirk playing upon her lips. "Would've been better with the scruff" she whispered before stepping inside.

Deeks grinned as he joined her, standing just a little closer than usual. Maybe humanity wasn't all that bad. Or at least certain humans weren't.

Certain humans named Kensi Marie Blye.


	5. Chapter 5

Kensi had not slept well last night. Even after scrubbing herself vigorously with her loofah in a very cold shower, all night she could feel her lips burning from Deeks' kiss, his warm hands inching up her thighs, his strong and wonderful body pressed up against her. Nope, sleep was not in _that _equation. But after a big sugary coffee and a fluffy, sprinkle-covered donut, she was at work and alert.

Unfortunately, Deeks didn't look so hot. Well, he always looked hot, but sure didn't seem too pleased to be at work. He was holding up a hand-held mirror and examining the nicely purpled bruise which spread across his left jaw and cheek.

"Well this is certainly not my best look."

That wasn't true. Any look was his best look, really. He could wear any dirty old sack or ill-fitting outfit or even nothing at all – preferably nothing – and still qualify for the list of top one hundred sexiest men of all time. Or top fifty. Or top ten. Or top fiv-

Her thoughts were interrupted as Deeks plopped his glorious ass down on her desk.

"What do you think? Can I pull this off?"

"If girls go for that 'freshly wounded' look, sure."

"I could say I do Mixed Martial Arts."

Kensi snorted. "Right, okay."

"I could totally be a fighter!" he said indignantly. He scooted closer and lowered his voice. "That is how we met, if you can recall."

Oh, she remembered all right. She had first seen him in that sleeveless tank top which accentuated his fabulous arm muscles and she had been so tempted…

"I also seem to recall knowing something was screwy with your MMA cover."

"I sent your Spidey Senses a-tingling?"

She grinned. "Something like that."

Some things were definitely tingling, that's for sure.

Deeks sighed nostalgically. "That was the beginning, Fern. The first stepping stone on the path to partnership…"

But before he could get too sentimental, the familiar shrill of Eric's whistle pierced the air. Deeks jumped off the desk and she allowed him to go up the steps first. She stayed close behind though, and stared appreciatively at his back. She imagined how his muscles would feel as they rippled beneath his smooth, tan skin while he did pushups. Or other things. Other things that would be equally as fun for Kensi.

Gah! Bad Kensi, stop it. That was not an appropriate image to have playing in her mind at work. She tried to clear her head of such thoughts when they walked into Ops to meet their techs and teammates, but upon leaning back on the table, Deeks sidled up right next to her.

Great. That would help her not to think about him.

Before, the occasional grazing of their hands or the bumping of their arms was a little butterfly-inducing, but now… Oh _now_. Now every contact was a spark that set a fire ablaze in her belly. Every touch made her want to drag him to her apartment and have her way with him. Damn him, why did he have to kiss her? Why did he have to make all of these feelings surface? Damn him, damn him, damn him.

But right, the case. She could think about this later. Correction: she _would _think about this later.

"We checked the return address from the envelope Sam and Callen found at Aubrey's and discovered that it's an abandoned manufacturing warehouse. We also traced the IP address of the threatening emails sent to Aubrey, and they originated in the same location. It seems Bailey has been hiding out there, trying to keep off the grid" Eric explained.

"We'll head over. What's the address?" Callen asked.

"Not so fast - that's not all we found" Eric said, smiling. Was he sticking his chest out? He bowed slightly to Nell, allowing her to do the honors.

"We finally decrypted Tucker's phone!" Nell chirped, and Eric grinned at her proudly. Those two were so cute. Why couldn't they see it? With the way Eric looked at her, it was painfully obvious. With such admiration and respect, with pride that said: "I am lucky to have you as my partner, and as my friend." Any guy who looked at a girl like that deserved her, no doubt about it. That was some look.

She continued: "So we finally found out what Tucker was doing up in Atherton. It seems that all the calls he made to his wife were made in about the same location, at and around a house. A house belonging to Isabel Sandoval."

"More like _who_ he was doing, then" Deeks deadpanned.

Kensi frowned. "Isn't that the woman who accused Bailey of rape?"

Eric nodded. "And remember how we thought it was weird that Tucker testified against Bailey to help Isabel? This might be why."

It was cases like these that made Kensi vow to never have an affair. The possibility that her significant other would find out and be hurt was motivation enough to stay faithful. She just couldn't bear to see Deeks pout… not that Deeks was her significant other.

"Tucker must've come back to surprise his wife for a different reason then" Sam said.

"Sure seems like a case of the guilty conscience to me" Callen noted.

"But what was she doing down here in LA then when we interviewed her if she lives up in Atherton?" Deeks asked.

Eric tapped on his tablet and brought up a map on the big screen. "We tracked both her and Tucker's movements based on their cell phone activity from last Saturday, when Tucker came back to LA. His activity is shown by the blue dots, and Isabel's is shown the red ones."

Kensi watched as Tucker's blue dots popped up in certain areas, showing his southbound path down the map to his house, and how Isabel's dots followed the same path, but with some delay.

"So she followed him." That wasn't creepy at all.

Callen shifted. "Where is Isabel now?"

Nell turned to her computer and typed for a bit.

"That's weird. It looks like she's heading towards Bailey's warehouse…"

Callen groaned. "We told her Bailey was a suspect and if she had strong enough feelings for Tucker that she would follow him out to his own house…"

"She could be looking for revenge" Sam finished.

"And with her background in cryptology, that must be how she found Bailey's hideout" Kensi added.

"Well then, there's no time to waste, is there?" Hetty said. Kensi hadn't even heard the Ops doors open. Where had Hetty been hiding? Under a desk? Could she walk through walls?

"It seems that Isabel may be on her way to making a very rash decision. I suggest all of you get a move on."

The team didn't need any more prodding, and they raced out to the parking lot. Deeks was hot on Kensi's heels the whole time.

"Nothing like a little murder prevention to start off your day, right Fern?"

Kensi just rolled her eyes as they approached her car.

"Isabel has a good head start on us, so don't expect this to be the most relaxing car ride you've ever had."

"Car rides with you are never relaxing. You're like Danica Patrick, except you go 230mph on residential streets" he said as he slammed his door shut and buckled up.

Kensi turned to smack him, but then she saw him smiling and staring at her with a piercing, yet calming gaze.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

That was the look. _That was the look _and he was giving it to her. And if she'd noticed Eric and Nell, then everyone on the team must've noticed her and Deeks. It was their job to notice things, to pay attention to detail.

So how could she not have caught on earlier? But that was a rhetorical question, because Kensi knew why. She had been in denial, big time. She refused to believe that there could be anything more than a hypothetical "thing" between them, so she had blinded herself to his tell-all looks. But now that she was thinking about it, now that she was playing back all the time they'd spent together with her eyes wide open, she could see them: she could see his bright baby blues sparkling at her. He loved her.

No, he loved her _back. _

She needed a Twinkie. More than usual, that is. She grabbed one from the stash in her driver's side door compartment, and as she ripped the plastic wrapping off the golden fried treat, she tried not to associate it with tearing off Deeks' clothes from his equally golden delicious body. She chewed thoughtfully while screeching out of the parking lot.

Deeks loved her. She could handle that calmly and collectedly. Calmly. Collectedly.

…no she couldn't. She wanted to run and bounce on her bed squealing like a giddy teenager. She wanted to call her mom and gush about it. She wanted to stand at the railing overlooking the bullpen at work, have Eric whistle for her to get everyone's attention, and shout at the top of her lungs that Marty Deeks loved her.

And that she loved him too.

But how could she do this… this… relationship? How could she avoid another Jack, another heartbreak? How could she find that special strength to commit? How could they transition from coworker to lovers? How would they not get tired of each other after spending long hours on cases, and then time alone together?

She needed another Twinkie.

But just as she was about to open the new wrapper in her skillful one-handed fashion, Deeks reached over and grabbed it from her.

"Hey!"

He shook his head. "It's for your own good. Can't fill up on sugar before a possible firefight – you know what it does to you."

She pouted as she focused her attention back on the road. But he was right. He knew her so well. And yet he still loved her? Wow.

He was a keeper.


	6. Chapter 6

_If there was a fanfic author title of "Worst Updater Ever", I would probably hold it. So sorry for the delay! Life has been pretty hectic for me lately and I've been lacking in the inspiration department, but I promise I will finish this story – I pinky swear. That means I am authorizing one of you to find where I live and come chop off my pinky if I never finish this. Which I will. I am quite fond of all my fingers._

* * *

><p><em>A memory refresher if you need it:<em>

_She needed another Twinkie._

_But just as she was about to open the new wrapper in her skillful one-handed fashion, Deeks reached over and grabbed it from her._

"_Hey!" _

_He shook his head. "It's for your own good. Can't fill up on sugar before a possible firefight – you know what it does to you."_

_She pouted as she focused her attention back on the road. But he was right. He knew her so well. And yet he still loved her? Wow._

_He was a keeper._

* * *

><p>He ached for her. He yearned for her. But they were working. They had a case. He strained to keep his eyelids from fluttering shut as he brought back to mind for the thousandth time their kiss. Deeks had kissed many women in his days, but none like Kensi Marie Blye. All of the passion, strength, and skill she had shown so many times at work had now been revealed to him in a different light. And he liked that light. Very much.<p>

But that light was a heartless little bastard. It had been switched off for the duration of his partnership with Kensi, until last night. Last night it had flipped itself on, blinding Deeks with its intensity, flickered, and then darkened once more. What a tease. What mean, merciless, cruel, unforgivi-

"Deeks?"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah. Peachy."

She looked unconvinced. "Really? Because you seem to be punishing that Twinkie for something it didn't do."

Sure enough, he'd been clenching his fists so hard that he'd squeezed most of the filling out of the sugary snack cake. He was lucky the wrapping hadn't popped and the thing exploded on his pants. That would've definitely ruined his cleanliness title.

He just had to keep it cool, not give his feelings away, and stop making Twinkies explode because that definitely wasn't helping to uphold his calm exterior and keep his emotions a secret. But then again, neither was the fact that Kensi was a trained special agent. He was trained too, of course, to go undercover, to take on a new persona and use that mask to conceal anything that was going on in his life. But that was different.

This was Kensi. And he wasn't undercover. Nothing except protecting his team and helping to solve the case could stop him from showing Kensi how much he loved her for every second of every day. He just couldn't help it. She deserved all the love in the world, and more.

…yeah, she probably knew. So why hadn't she said anything? Why hadn't _he _said anything? Since when was he such a wimp? It was three little words. He just had to tell her three simple, one-syllable words.

"Deeks, we're here."

Okay, not exactly the three words he was thinking of, but they would do for now. The sooner they solved the case, the sooner Deeks could figure out this whole Kensi situation.

As the two of them unbuckled and stepped out of the car, Sam and Callen screeched up and followed suit. They walked quickly towards the gray, slightly dilapidated warehouse and Deeks tried to lighten the tense air that was beginning to circulate, much like it did before every takedown.

"And Team Awesome wins again! You two do realize that this is the ninth case in a row where Kensi and I have beaten you to all of the destinations."

"It's not fair! Kensi drives like a madwoman and Sam refuses to go more than ten miles above the speed limit!" Callen said, practically whining.

"Hey, safety first G" Sam said apologetically as he and Callen began to run silently towards the back of the warehouse.

"And I do not drive like a madwoman!" Kensi hissed after them before she and Deeks assumed their position at the side door of the building.

"Debatable" Deeks said in a mocking tone, copying her phrasing from earlier. She glared as she slowly turned the door knob and then focused herself. She pushed open the door and Deeks went in first, eyes and gun scanning the room. It housed shelves that were jam-packed with rotting boxes, not seeming habitable for anyone, even a skeeze like Bailey. But just when all seemed lost, there was shouting heard from nearby. He and Kensi picked up their pace, weaving through the shelves to the source of the noise, catching up with Callen and Sam along the way.

The four of them passed through a large opening whose double doors appeared to be missing, and were met with quite a scene.

This room was smaller, but more open, and had some house furnishings like a bed and stove. And right smack dab in the middle of it was Gordon Bailey on his knees with his hands behind his head, and Isabel Sandoval standing over him with a gun pointed at his heart. That woman must be pretty damn feisty. Deeks, Callen, and Sam fanned out to encircle the duo, but Kensi lowered her gun and slowly approached them.

"Don't do it Isabel."

Not drawing her eyes off the man kneeling in front of her, Isabel yelled back. "I was discharged from the navy, you know why? I found out I was pregnant! It's been two months! And now Aaron is dead! Our baby will never have a father and it's all your fault, you bastard!"

She had begun to shake a little, and Deeks could see the gun quivering. Kensi put her own gun in the back of her pants and walked slowly up to Isabel, gently placing a hand on the weapon.

"Aaron wouldn't want this, Isabel. You can't throw away your life, you have the baby to think of now."

Isabel's lip quivered and she allowed Kensi to take the gun and hand it to Callen. Deeks rushed over and handcuffed Bailey, dragging him outside as Isabel cried onto Kensi's shoulder.

"That bitch is crazy!" Bailey muttered.

"Yeah, because murder and blackmail definitely put you on the sane side of things." Deeks said dryly as he stuffed the man into the car.

* * *

><p>After they had put Bailey in holding and sent the now gun-free Isabel home, the team had packed up and Kensi offered to give Deeks a ride home. He'd happily accepted and as they strolled over to her parking space, he grinned internally. Everyone seemed to think he didn't have a car since he was always bumming rides off Kensi, but that just showed how little they knew.<p>

He had a car all right. A pretty nice one too, since Hetty had insisted on hooking him up with a shiny new Lexus once he accepted her offer. It was a shame that it didn't see the light of day all that often, but Deeks couldn't help himself, he liked driving with Kensi. Sure, some queasy-stomached people complained about her slightly reckless driving, but he had grown accustomed and – dare he say it – fond of her driving technique. It was beautiful in its own crazy, terrifying way; it suited Kensi well.

He climbed into the passenger seat, which had officially been dubbed the Deek-o-nator's Derriere Dwelling. Kensi objected when he first named it, but he had written the title on a post-it with an arrow and taped it to the glove compartment, and she hadn't removed it. So yeah, it was official.

She had been letting him get away with a lot more stuff like that recently. Stuff she used to roll her eyes at and reprimand him for. It was almost like she enjoyed his little quips and jokes.

Maybe, just maybe, there was some hope. Maybe that light wasn't so heartless after all. Maybe he had just never noticed it before because it was dim at the start. But now, as their partnership was strengthening, so was the light. Sure it wasn't constantly at that brilliance he'd seen when they kissed, but it was bright; brighter than before, at least.

And that was exciting. They were progressing. Whether he was pulling her through lasers or supporting her while investigating her father's case or even just being able to make her laugh at one of his lame jokes, they were progressing. He could see the trust now, the comfort, the light.

But could she see it too?

"Earth to Deeks, do you read me?"

He brought his mind out of his mini reverie and sat up straighter. "Loud and clear, Commander Kensi. Over."

The corner of her mouth quirked up before she glanced over at him. "You've been… quiet. It's kind of freaking me out, to be honest."

"And we all know honesty is the best policy. But I have to admit, you guys are giving me mixed signals here. First you guys complain that I talk too much, and now I don't talk enough – there's just no pleasing you, is there?"

She smirked at him and shook her head slightly. "You may have a big mouth Deeks, but I like it."

His eyebrows shot up and he opened his mouth to say something that could be classified as inappropriate, but she cut him off when she realized what she'd said.

"I didn't mean it like that! I just – I meant – I like hearing you talk, okay?" she said somewhat exasperatedly.

He smiled. "You mean that?"

She pulled up in front of his apartment and took the key out of the ignition before answering. She turned to look at him, really look at him, and Deeks could already feel his heart rate speeding up.

"I do. At first I thought it was annoying, but now it's… reassuring. I can always count on you to brighten my day, to bring a little more fun into our job, which is nice considering what we do. But there are also those rare occasions when you can actually be tactful, and I really appreciate that. So… thanks, I guess."

The bruise on his jaw was aching terribly since he was smiling so widely, but he didn't care. Kensi liked hearing him talk. And that was just about the best news he'd heard since discovering chocolate-flavored Reddi-wip existed.

"Did we just have a moment?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "And there you go, ruining things with your damn words."

"Hey, again with the mixed signals! Seriously Fern, you need to work on that."

"Out of the car, Deeks."

She was trying to sound annoyed, but as Deeks jumped out and crossed in front of the vehicle, he turned to look through the windshield and saw her smiling. The gods were definitely in his favor this week. He, Marty Deeks, brightened Kensi's days. And she thought he was tactful! She was one of the first. But really, what more could he want?

Well, except her, maybe. But that was coming. He knew… somehow. Maybe the gods had also decided to temporarily grant him the gift of foresight, who knows. Somehow, he just could tell the game was about to change.

And he couldn't wait.


	7. Chapter 7

_In which Kensi questions many things and gets interrupted a lot._

* * *

><p>"<em>Out of the car, Deeks."<em>

_She was trying to sound annoyed, but as Deeks jumped out and crossed in front of the vehicle, he turned to look through the windshield and saw her smiling. The gods were definitely in his favor this week. He, Marty Deeks, brightened Kensi's days. And she thought he was tactful! She was one of the first. But really, what more could he want?_

_Well, except her, maybe. But that was coming. He knew… somehow. Maybe the gods had also decided to temporarily grant him the gift of foresight, who knows. Somehow, he just could tell the game was about to change._

_And he couldn't wait._

* * *

><p>Two weeks later and she was finally doing paperwork for the Bailey case. And about seven other cases. God, she hated paperwork. Hetty had finally coerced the team into sitting down and working on it though, so here they were. Again. Deeks was right; they really ought to hire someone to do all the official documenting.<p>

Deeks. She stole a glance at him and noticed he was bobbing his head slightly as he wrote. He had been doing that a lot lately, like he was singing in his head when he wasn't actually humming out loud. He was just so damn cheerful as of late, and curse him, but it was infectious. Everyone he came in contact with seemed to catch his happy-go-lucky disease and it was nice but it was very… suspicious.

He had been walking around with an extra spring in his step and Kensi really wanted to know why. At first she thought it was because his bruise was hidden by the scruff that had reached its former glory yet again, but now she wasn't so sure.

It was almost as if he was happier… because of her? He still teased and taunted like usual, but whenever he drew a smile out of her, his own grin grew nearly ten miles wide. And it was killing her.

That smile of his was just so goddamn attractive, and he wouldn't stop flashing it. She was working hard to exercise her self-restraint, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. She really wanted to kiss him again. She wanted him to be able to come over with burgers and beer, and be able to stay the night. She wanted to let him teach her how to surf. She wanted to talk long walks on the beach and to hold his hand and to go on fancy dates with him and do all those sappy things that sickening couples did; she just wanted it so badly.

She wanted him, and not just at work. She wanted all of him and she wanted it now.

Well, maybe not right now while they were doing paperwork. That might be a little awkward for Sam and Callen.

But if it weren't for their presence, Kensi doubted her defenses would do their job. Could she even still call them her defenses? It was like they practically didn't exist any more. Usually Deeks was the only chatty one of the partnership, but for some reason she couldn't keep her mouth shut when she was around him any more. When they were driving or eating lunch together, they would talk about everything, ranging from silly things like Monty's eating habits to more serious topics like childhood memories.

What was wrong with her? Before, her walls had kept her shielded from building such strong relationships in order protect herself, protect her feelings, but now… things were different. Deeks had taken a bulldozer and rammed right through her carefully constructed barrier and had her spilling her guts about everything.

Or at least almost everything. There was still that very small matter of her loving him and all.

She had no idea what to do about that. There were just too many options: tell him, don't tell him, confide in Nell, eat her feelings in packaged snack foods, continue to fantasize incessantly and unhealthily about him… seek professional help regarding her uncannily vivid fantasies…

She frowned and began chewing on the end of her pen. If only she were in a romantic comedy film, then everyone could just burst into song and harmonize about their feelings or some shit like that. But no, she had to focus on her paperwork, not on how funny it would be to see the guys do a choreographed dance. Besides, a musical number about what she was currently doing would be pretty dull.

"Done!"

Kensi raised an eyebrow at Deeks, who had thrown down his pen and slapped the folder in front of him shut.

"You're _done_? Seriously, Deeks?" Callen asked skeptically. Kensi noticed Sam was wearing an expression of disbelief very similar to hers.

"Well, with this one at least."

Callen snorted and Kensi rolled her eyes. Of course.

"Awww, c'mon guys, I need to take a break. Anyone up for shooting some hoops?"

Sam sighed. "I'd say yes because I'm _actually_ on my last one" he stared pointedly at the scruffy blonde, "but I know G is years behind on his work and that he's going to make me help him" he finished gloomily.

Callen grinned. "That's what partners are for!" he said cheekily.

Deeks looked over at her hopefully. Normally she would've declined, but she desperately needed to clear her head; she was feeling very mentally cluttered. And besides, Deeks was giving her his frustratingly irresistible puppy dog face.

"Alright Deeks, let's go."

"Yes! I knew I could count on you, Fern! To the court – you and me, let's go."

She stood up and walked with him to the gym. _You and me_; she liked the sound of that. It had a nice ring to it.

As they pushed open the doors to the court, Deeks was making some excuse about his knee hurting so if she beat him it wasn't his fault, but she just nodded absent-mindedly as they made their way to the rack with the basketballs on it. Once they reached it, he leaned back on the rack and stared at her seriously.

"So what's up?"

She stopped a few feet in front of him and tried to look as non-emotionally burdened as possible.

"What makes you think something's up?"

"You were chewing on your pen. You always do that when something is bothering you."

Dammit, how did he pick up on all these small subconscious habits of hers? I mean really, having a partner who notices changes in her demeanor and confronts her about it because he cares about how she's doing? That was… reasonable, actually. She shifted slightly as Deeks continued to stare her down.

"You're pretty perceptive. You should be a detective or something" she quipped.

His lips curved upwards. "Does that mean you're going to tell me?"

She opened her mouth to protest but he sensed it, pointing a finger at her and saying in a warning tone: "Don't make me put on my interrogation game face."

She snorted. "I've seen that "game face", Deeks. You just look constipated."

"I believe you meant to say "concentrated."

"What, like orange juice?"

"No, like focused!"

"Focused on taking a sh–"

"Hey! Stop trying to distract me! No amount of insults – however venomous they may be – can sidetrack me. Mind like a steel trap, Kens" he said tapping the side of his head with his pointer finger.

She sighed in defeat and he lit up, excited to hear what she had to say. God, he was adorable.

So why was she fighting this again? Because… because she… because he…

Okay fine, so there was no good answer to that question. She wiped her slightly sweaty palms on her jeans before stating. Wait, sweaty palms? So she'd looked down the barrel of a gun more times than she could remember, and _this _made her nervous? No wonder men had such a hard time understanding women – she could barely understand herself.

"I was just thinking about… life."

Life. Good one, Kensi.

Not.

But Deeks didn't interrupt or make a snide remark, he just kept looking at her with that encouraging expression of his that made her mouth ignore all warnings that her brain was broadcasting. So she glued her eyes to the wall the right of his head and kept talking.

"Not the meaning of life or anything cliché like that, but more about… who I want to spend it with. I mean, it can be fun to just mess around with people, but that can't hold its appeal forever, right? I haven't wanted that for a while now… I want something else, something that has more to offer."

She shook her head and grumbled: "So much for not sounding cliché. Just forget I ever said anything."

"No, no, I totally understand what you're talking about."

Her eyes flicked over and met his gaze. "You do?"

"I do."

Air. There was air in this room right?

He does. He does what? He understands, yes, but with the way he's looking at her, was there some other meaning woven into that statement? Was she reading too much into this?

She picked up a basketball from the rack behind him and spun it between her two pointer fingers.

"But what if that something more turns out badly? What if I mess it up? Or look at Aubrey Tucker! Her husband cheated on her and–"

"What guy in their right mind would cheat on _you_?" Deeks cut in incredulously.

She shrugged and looked down at the ball, continuing to spin it.

"Hey. _Hey_."

Deeks put one hand on the top and the other on the bottom of the ball and tugged lightly, pulling Kensi forward so that her left leg was wedged between the two of his.

"Kensi, you listen to me. If and when you choose a guy – or girl?" he asked suggestively.

She glared at him.

"Okay, okay, a guy. When you choose a guy, believe me when I say that he would never let you go if he could help it. Every day he would wake up feeling like the luckiest man on the planet, and he would be right to do so. At least, that's how I would feel."

Was someone dribbling a basketball in her head? No? That was her heart pounding?

"Deeks, I–"

"WHO'S READY TO GET THEIR ASSES' KICKED?" Sam shouted a little too gleefully as he and Callen burst through the doors of the gym.

What the hell was with her teammates and interrupting her moments with Deeks? Of course, in retrospect, the gym wasn't exactly the go-to place for privacy, and neither was an undercover op where they were wearing earwigs. But whatever, it was her brain and she could complain if she wanted to.

Callen walked towards the two of them. "Are we going to play basketball, or are you guys just going to stand there holding one?"

Kensi and Deeks looked down simultaneously and realized that they were indeed still gripping it. And that they were really close to each other. Kensi hastily stepped back and Deeks straightened up before passing the ball to Callen, who then dribbled it over to Sam. As the two of them began to argue over strategies, Deeks grinned at Kensi.

"Ready, partner?"

She couldn't help but smile back.

"Ready."

* * *

><p><em>OHOHO, BUT WHAT ARE THEY READY FOR? Also I actually wrote a mini song about Kensi doing paperwork, but decided not to include it because I became suddenly aware of the whole new level of lame I'd reached. …is it bad that I want to write an NCIS: LA musical now? Probably.<em>


	8. Chapter 8

She was dying. Kensi was dying.

She always thought that she would go out valiantly, like taking a bullet to the chest in order to protect a witness, or at least _something _related to the line of duty. But no, she was dying of something much less admirable: the common cold.

…okay, so she wasn't _dying_, but she might as well be considering how horrible she was feeling. Last night before she went to bed, her symptoms just seemed like an intense allergy attack, but unfortunately, she hadn't been so lucky.

She was so badly congested that it felt like a layer of skin had grown over her nostrils to completely prevent her from breathing through her nose. At least she was finally done producing mucus like a snot monster – she had already exhausted her tissue supply within the past 24 hours and the various garbage cans she had around the apartment were all in desperate need of emptying.

Even taking a steamy shower hadn't helped clear her sinuses, and as she laid back on the sofa, her head continued to throb, and her joints continued to be sore, and her throat continued to sting when she breathed through her mouth, and every inch of her body continued to ache with each passing second. This was a well-deserved sick day.

Kensi remembered when she was a kid and sick days used to be fun. She got to stay home from school and lay in bed watching TV as her mom brought her soup and pampered her. Of course, sick days went downhill once it became just her and her dad since he couldn't always find the time to take off work, so she had learned to tough things out.

That's what she had been doing for her adult life as well, and she had even managed to convince herself that she didn't get sick anymore. Was that a sneeze? It's fine, Kensi never got sick. A cough? Not a problem. A fever? Nothing a long day at work couldn't cure.

That was then.

This was now, and now was a bitch. She didn't have any cold medicine thanks to her "I never get sick" mantra and she had already used up all of the aspirin she kept for her cramps. So she was lying on her couch, shivering even in her warmest pair of sweats and staring at the green "8:03 PM" shown on her digital clock. She had missed a full day of work, but she was glad Hetty had told her to stay home. She couldn't move, let alone function well enough to be a useful part of the team.

As she thought about what she could possibly do to improve her miserable situation, Kensi heard a knock on the door. It was the familiar pattern Deeks always used, and for a second she felt a burst of energy flow through her body, but it was quickly beaten down by her cold. She managed to lift her head and intended to call out to let him know she was there, but all that came out was a mangled croak. That wasn't good.

He knocked again but she couldn't find the strength to stand up and walk over to the door to let him in. Then she heard his voice, muffled by the door:

"Kensi? I'm coming in so I hope you're not naked!"

She heard the spare key she had given to him click in the door and he burst into the living room holding multiple shopping bags. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"_I hope you're not naked?_" she repeated, sounding totally unlike herself with her nose so clogged up.

"Okay so that was a lie, but I just wanted to give you a heads up" he said as he walked into her kitchen.

It was a good thing he was in another room because if he had seen her blush at that, she never would have heard the end of it. And god, she had to stop imagining them being naked together before he came back.

She listened to him opening up drawers and cupboards as he put his purchases away before he walked back out to her, still holding one shopping bag. He sat down on the coffee table across from her and began pulling things out of it.

"Hetty said you were sick but she didn't specify with what or any of your symptoms, so I just kind of bought one of everything" he said as he started placing various medicines on the space next to him. Pain killers, decongestants, antihistamines – you name it, it was there.

He turned to her once his bag was empty, and looked her over for the first time since coming in. Kensi braced herself for a "You look like crap" comment, considering she certainly felt like a pile of one, but all she got was his clear blue eyes looking at her with more sympathy and concern than she thought was physically possible.

He moved to kneel in front of the end of the couch where her head was resting, and he placed his wrist gingerly on her forehead, then opened his palm and cupped her right cheek as she turned her head to look at him. It would have been romantic had Kensi not looked like hell and felt as if the Grim Reaper was moments away from claiming her corpse.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked softly.

She lifted her left arm weakly and pointed to her forehead, nose and throat. After a moment of thought, she gestured to the rest of her body as well. Deeks smiled knowingly and stood up, leaving her cheek immediately cold where his hand had previously been. He came back quickly though, with a damp washcloth and a glass of some sort of red fruit juice.

He pulled her into an upright position and handed her the glass before extracting two large pills from one of the many medicine packages and handing those to her as well. She gulped them down with the sugary drink and smiled gratefully at him before slumping down and resting her head on the back cushions. She closed her eyes for a minute, frustrated that sitting up and taking a few pills made her feel as exhausted as she would after running a marathon.

She felt him sit down next to her before something cold was placed on her forehead. Oh, the washcloth. That felt good.

Deeks always knew what to do. He was much more competent than people gave him credit for, but Kensi could see it. She planned on telling him that, but as soon as she opened her eyes he started talking again.

"I also got you some boxes of tissues, chicken noodle soup, two jugs of fruit juice that I chose based on their high sugar content, and some chocolate. Just in case."

Kensi felt her mouth gape open a bit as she stared at him in amazement (adding to her already overwhelming sex appeal, no doubt). He was too good for her. This was beyond the "partners" territory, and they both knew it.

Marty Deeks: officially one of the best things to ever happen to her.

"I could kiss you", she blurted out before her brain could stop her.

His mouth twitched into a smile, but his eyes stayed serious.

"So why don't you?"

Wow, she wasn't expecting that response. Her heart rate quickened and her face felt even hotter than before as she tried to form words.

"I… would get you sick."

"I don't get sick."

"Hah, so you think!" she said warningly. Seems like Kensi wasn't the only one with that mantra.

He grinned. "If I get sick, then _you_ get to take care of _me_."

Normally she would have bit back with some sort of clever retort, but in this state, all she could manage was the truth:

"I would, you know. Take care of you."

"I know."

And with that, he maneuvered her back down into a vertical position with her head in his lap. She felt the drowsy side effect of the medicine starting to kick as she struggled to keep her eyes focused on him. For the first time they made admissions like that without any hasty reasoning like "Because we're partners", because they could finally both see that they it wasn't just because they were partners.

They weren't just partners. They didn't just work together and they didn't just have a "thing". They had something more, like… a thingamajig: bigger than a thing, but still not quite defined. She had to define it.

Her eyelids were drooping but she had to tell him. She started to speak again, but he placed a finger over her mouth and shushed her.

"Just relax, Kens. You can thank me later."

He leaned in closer and dropped his voice to a whisper: "And don't forget about that kiss you promised me."

She smiled because she knew he wouldn't forget, and because she didn't want him to. And she could worry about definitions tomorrow. All she had to focus on now was his fingers gently massaging her temples and toying with her hair. All she had to focus on now was the familiar and wonderful smell of Deeks that somehow managed to penetrate even the worst case of congestion. All she had to focus on now was the gradual warmth spreading through her previously chilled core as the man she loved told her to sleep, told her she would be all right, told her they would get through this.

They would get through it.

They always did.

* * *

><p><em>The moment you've been waiting for is drawing near! I think there are going to be about 2 more chapters to this story. I hope you guys have been enjoying it, and if you have, please review and let me know!<em>


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi… please don't shoot! I'm unarmed and extremely apologetic. I mean, it only took me 4 months to upload this chapter… We'll look back on this and laugh in a few years!_

_In a few years, like when I finish this story. Heh... heh…_

_ANYWAYS, thank you so so much for all your lovely reviews. I'm responding to them now! Better late than never, right?_

* * *

><p>Music. That was the first thing he noticed: blaring, cheery, carnival music. Which was appropriate, though, since they were at a carnival.<p>

Deeks had heard a few weeks earlier that a traveling carnival was going to set up camp for a couple of days on the nearby pier, and he'd been chatting excitedly about it ever since. Somehow, he convinced the whole team to visit it; he claimed he pulled that feat due to his great skills of persuasion, but Kensi had rolled her eyes and said everyone was just fed up with his incessant babbling about it so they agreed to go in order to shut him up. Either way, he was happy for the outing.

After they paid the entrance fee and pushed their way past the turnstiles, the group stopped for a minute to look around. There was a myriad of game and food booths, and a few rides visible over the tops of the tents. Deeks clapped his hands and turned to his coworkers.

"So what do you guys want to do first?"

Sam didn't respond to him, but rather turned to Callen, challenging: "Bet I can beat you at that shooting booth game."

Callen scoffed. "You're on."

"There is no way you can beat my SEAL training, G" Sam teased as they walked towards the booth.

Deeks was going to yell after them that this was supposed to be a team bonding experience, but Nell cut him off.

"Check this out!" she said excitedly to Eric, pointing at the small map she had picked up at the entrance. "There's a roller coaster called 'Apollo's Chariot'!"

Eric looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Six corkscrews in a row? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"See how many times we can ride it without puking?"

"Yes!"

The techs did an underhanded high five before dashing away in the direction of the roller coaster, leaving Kensi and Deeks alone.

"So, do you plan on ditching me too, Fern?"

But Kensi didn't answer, and when he turned to bother her about it, he noticed her eyes were fixated on some people walking by. Well, fixated on what they were holding: towering bowls of ice cream. She put a hand on her stomach like she suddenly remembered she was starving. And by the way she was staring down those people, he didn't doubt it.

"Hungry?" Deeks asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"After seeing that, how could I not be? We need to find that ice cream stand!"

"And soon, too. I was worried for a second there that you were going to devour that small child."

"Hey, I would never eat a person."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's what Hannibal Lecter said as a child, and look where he ended up."

She punched him not-so-lightly in the shoulder, and he backed away, clutching it dramatically.

"Oh no! I think I see a cannibalistic glint in your eyes! I know I'm magically delicious, Kens, but try to restrain yourself!" he said, finishing with an eyebrow waggle.

She rolled her eyes attempted to glare at him, but he could see the amusement in her features.

"Just shut up and help me find that ice cream stand, Deeks."

So they began to weave their way through the multitude of booths in a pleasant silence. Every so often her arm would accidentally bump his, or her fingers would innocently graze the back of his hand. Such had been the way for a few months now, and Deeks was not about to complain. Each contact was a reassurance of what he already knew, and he found himself struggling to contain the huge smile that was threatening to explode across his face.

After a few minutes of scouring the grounds, Kensi gasped excitedly. "Found it! Go find us a place to sit while I order" she said quickly before practically skipping towards the booth.

He shook his head and found an empty table for them to sit at. It was strange how a woman so intimidating and strong could also be insanely adorable as she got so giddy over food. That was just one more thing that made her so indisputably awesome. Most women that Deeks knew, on a date or any such occasion, would order a green salad and pick at it like a scavenging bird, but not Kensi. She would order a giant steak with a loaded baked potato, and of course, would always save room for dessert.

And yet, for someone who so loved food, she was clueless when it came to making any. He grinned as he remembered the fruit smoothie stem fiasco. But before his brain could finish conjuring up a different fruit scenario that involved chocolate covered strawberries and very few articles of clothing, he noticed Kensi walking towards him. And she wasn't alone.

She was accompanied by the biggest mound of ice cream he had ever seen – at least he assumed there was ice cream somewhere beneath the towering heap of toppings. She sat down with a triumphant look on her face as she gazed adoringly at her creation.

"Geez Kens, did you leave any for the other people in line?"

She ignored him and waved her hand at the masterpiece, saying, "I call it 'Ice Cream a la Kensi'!"

"Well I call it diabetes" he muttered as she took a bite. He watched as her eyelids fluttered close and heard her make a guttural noise of approval. The sound surprised him, and he felt his pulse quicken as he imagined her making it in a much different setting. This wasn't going to turn into the diner scene from _When Harry Met Sally_, was it? He wasn't sure he could handle that.

Her eyelids popped open and he tried to pretend like he wasn't just very turned on by her eating ice cream.

"Deeks, I don't care what you call this, you have to try it."

He nodded and dug his spoon deep into the bowl in an attempt to actually get some ice cream along with his sprinkles, peanut butter cup chunks, Oreo crumbles, M&Ms, whipped cream, hot fudge, caramel, and a number of other sweet treats he couldn't even identify. As soon as the spoon hit his tongue, he was assaulted by a (surprisingly) pleasant meld of delicious sugary goodness – it was in that moment that he finally experienced an explosion of flavor.

"Do you like it?" she asked eagerly.

"Like it? I want to be alone with it!"

She laughed as they both continued to devour the delectable dessert, and within an astonishingly short amount of time, the bowl was empty. Deeks leaned back and thought about the implications of what he had just done. In order to make up for all those calories, his diet next week would be… lettuce.

Kensi also leaned back and put a hand on her stomach. "Wow, that was a _lot _of ice cream."

"I know, I think I might actually explode from sugar overload" he said, tossing their trash into a nearby garbage can.

She smiled. "Totally worth it though. But I guess this means we can't go on any rides since we don't want to get sick…"

Deeks suddenly sat up straight as an idea dawned on him.

"Yes we can, come on!"

He grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her behind him as he raced to his destination. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? He didn't slow down until they were right in front of the Ferris wheel, and surprisingly, there was no one in line. A small grin snuck on to Deeks' face as he got another idea. He walked up to the ride operator and whispered something in his ear before beckoning Kensi to get on the ride with him.

"What did you ask that guy?" she inquired as she slid into the passenger carriage.

"You'll find out soon enough" he replied as mysteriously as possible. She eyed him with suspicion as the wheel lurched into motion.

Their carriage slowly made its way to the top, where it softly came to a halt (and would hopefully stay that way for the next few minutes, as the operator had agreed). The view was fantastic. To the left, part of the carnival was still visible, with its cheery bright lights and eager attendees rushing about, but the main attraction was the ocean.

Calm and quiet, it was a stark contrast to the semi-hectic environment to the left. Deeks sighed contentedly as he gazed out at the gently crashing waves and breathed in the wonderfully calming sea air. He had never felt more at home, swinging gently in the breeze, with the water in his sights and his partner sidled up next to him. Speaking of which…

"So, about that kiss you owe me…"

Surprisingly, Kensi turned to him and leaned in without hesitation, pressing her lips softly against his. She pulled away after only a few seconds, and Deeks cleared his throat.

"So I guess we're all even then" he said, failing at masking his disappointment.

Kensi didn't settle back down into her seat though. Instead, she bit her lip tentatively, their faces still only inches apart. She shifted closer to him before speaking: "Well, I don't know, you did a lot for me when I was sick. I'm not sure if one little kiss could make up for it."

Deeks turned more towards her, causing their chests to touch and making their already mingled breaths come in shorter bursts. He licked his lips before whispering huskily, "You think I deserve a little bit more?"

"Yeah, I'd say so" she said breathily as she stared down at his mouth. With that, he leaned in and kissed her again.

Her hand immediately came up to his shirt and she grabbed a bunch of the material in her fist, pulling him closer. He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her in tighter, until she was practically on his lap. Her tongue slid along his lower lip before slipping into his mouth and as his collided with hers, his whole body pulsed with excitement.

She tasted just the way he remembered, but with some hints of ice cream sundae, which he was definitely not complaining about.

His fingertips slipped under her shirt and ghosted lightly across her lower back, and as she tangled her fingers in his hair and gently pulled on his lower lip with her teeth, he felt her heart pounding at the same rhythm as his. He slowly sucked each of her lips before pulling away, since he realized the ride had apparently gone back into motion – someone must have gotten in line. Damn them.

They unwillingly untangled themselves, and while smoothing her shirt, Kensi smiled.

"I knew it" she breathed as their carriage slowed to a stop at the bottom of the ride.

"Knew what?"

"It's better with the scruff."

Deeks had never smiled so widely in his life, and as they walked away, he struggled to find something to say. He needed to tell her how awesome that was, how much it meant to him, how much it made his heart soar… about how he apparently was the female protagonist in a crappy romance novel… But before Deeks could make an embarrassingly sappy admission, Kensi stopped suddenly.

"Oh my god. It just hit me that we're one of those cliché couples who make out on Ferris wheels."

"Couples? We're a couple?"

"Well I mean a couple of… people. Because there are two of us. Two is a couple."

Deeks grinned instead of teasing her and laced his fingers with hers. Being the other half of a couple with Kensi? He could live with that. Hell, he practically lived _for _that.

They continued to stroll along for a few minutes in a now peaceful, comfortable silence before another ride caught Deeks' eye. He stopped walking and squeezed Kensi's hand to get her attention. When she turned to him, he beamed at her excitedly.

"Are we one of those couples who makes out in the Tunnel of Love?"


End file.
